I'd like to preface this by saying I personally think small vans are cool. My brother had a Mini van when I was little, my neighbor had a Fiesta XRV in my teens and I have had a few van conversion projects including a Fiat Panda 4x4 and a Mk3 Escort van with XR3 running gear.

I loved my Punto HGT but sadly had to sell the car to help pay for my fathers funeral.





I bought all the Punto van parts to convert a Sporting 1.4 or HGT in the future but my zero hour job that was zero hours earlier this year meant I had to sell those bits as well.

Then I accidentally won this...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIAT-PUNTO-HGT-16V-1-8-2003-SPARES-REPAIR/123980528622

...rather track tired HGT on eBay. I made an opening bid hoping to get the ball rolling for the seller but won. £200 is a bargain but £300 to get the car recovered makes it right on the money.



I still have the Bravo HLX leather seats in my shed so the tear in the drivers seat isn't an issue. The rear has been partially stripped out to get to the rust that needs repairing, the catalytic converter was stolen and the battery was flat so a few issues to address but for £500 in I could get half that for the wheels if I wanted.

First job. New cat'.

There are four to chose from so a 75% chance this...



...was going to happen. Sorry for the quality of the welding...



...but I'm a little out of practice. Fitted and silent running?



Nope, the cat' nappers split the flexipipe. While I was looking for a replacement I found this...



1248cc Multijet diesel van and I had a plan. Woooooooo-ha-ha-ha-haaaaaa!

Ta-da da da, dee dee da da...







Harvested the parts I needed from the van and used these hooks...



...from a set of VW Beetle shocks to hang the rear quarters in my shed...



...for a coat of primer...



...and colour matched paint.



So the project has begun. New sills on the way and I may cut chunks from the Multijet floor to make repair panels for the HGT-V

So this happened...













With the track day past for added lightness the rear wiper was removed. I'm a big fan of rear wipers. Not only are they useful to the driver but also to see how good a driver everyone else is. If you see a dirty rear window chances are they very rarely check their mirrors.

Multijet donor to the rescue.



Side stripes...



...and as debadging is so 1998...



...rebadged.

That's the easy stuff...







...now the fun begins.

I'll start a list and check it few times eh? :xmas:

I hope you all enjoy the festive period.

Needs an orange light on the top

I quite like it

I was looking at LED strobes that would fill the fake brake vents and rear bumper splashes. Magnetic removable roof light so I don't have to drill holes and it won't get nicked.

Not much of an update this week. Mostly due to being a family taxi. By the time I got any time it was dark. So bike light on the oh**** handle...



...and the HGT interior is out.



If anyone would like a free HGT interior for their Punto let me know. I'll be digging out the Bravo leather seats next time. :devil:

Loving the van look, being an ex BT engineer I'm a big fan of vans. I'd be very interested in the interior if we're close enough. I'm in Kent, near Folkestone.

It has been an interesting couple of weeks. Learned that it is the wrong time of year to try and use window film if you want it bubble or crease free. Lifted the carpet to discover...





...previous "that'll do" repairs to the floor for that years MOT didn't do at all.

But! The wait is over.



New sills have arrived. After a couple of weeks of near perfect welding weather they get here just as the wet season is about to start again.

Carpets out and the front floor isn't bad at all.



As usual the pattern parts are so far out the return address should be Woodstock.



The Internet and its world wide web of lies strike again. As well as weighing about the same as a small Moon the Bravo HGT/HLX leather seat I have kept in a quiet corner of my shed waiting for a Punto project contrary to information available do not fit and the subframe (sliders) don't swap over either.



So the Uno bucket seat wasn't the plan but may happen...



...and I couldn't mess about with bum holders without trying out the Guff Cinquecento Kirky.



The new sills don't have holes for the skirts so I have a few options.

Stealth - So in the end the Punto looks like a van with Abarth wheels and standard quiet exhaust.
Drill holes and refit the skirts for the full HGT-Van effect.
If I'm going full track mode with buckets, harnesses and so on skirts are ballast.

I'll stick to the original HGT-V plan. Save the cage and bucket seats for the Uno. Looking at a potential donor to replace the SuperFIRE more in period to the build.

Being a bad influence is a big responsibility...



...my nephews first car next to my van.

Also I'll be on the train in the morning to collect this...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/fiat-punto-2002-188-1-8-130-hgt/333514549208

Bye Beetle...



...hello HGT. :devil:

A little progress today...



...as usual put the car on opposing ramps to avoid the risk of being crushed.



Hmmmm



Yabadabadoo!



As nobody wanted the Cinquecento rear wing...



...it's part of the floor now. :devil:

'tis the season. Meteorologically speaking at least. Today is the first day of Spring so bye Winter shampoo, hello Meguires Ultimate wash & wax.







I have something interesting on the way for my birthday Friday. :devil:

This is not a paid promotion, just a happy customer.

There is no realistic way I'll get the Punto HGT van ready for the first charity track day of the season March 20th so I have this...



...being collected Thursday in time for my birthday Friday. Hopefully get the HGT-R MOT'd in time as I really don't want to take my low mileage minter round Blyton. Even though my green HGT did a great job and on Uniroyal Rainsport 3's was quick until it died out. :devil:

Punto HGT collection

So the rally car was delivered Friday night. Happy birthday to me.

Saturday morning before work I took this shot...



...to remind myself what a good idea giving up alcohol for Lent turned out to be. :bang:

I got home from work early so I could give the old girl a once over with a wet sponge...





...but I haven't been able to look at the car properly until today.

Jobs for MOT



Knackered wipers.



Insecure spare wheel.



Insecure battery.



Leak from bodged coolant pipe.



Missing bonnet catch.



Split flexipipe (spare one included).





Quality Pigeon poo welded de'cat'.

This is the moment my HGT-Van became a part donor.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUZiUORi3uQ

Oh well at least I might be able to buy the right one to replace it. :devil:



Before and after...



...rain stopped play and I only have the bonnet catch and a rear indicator bulb to change. Hopefully this will be okay for the test but idling at 68-70dB and drive by at 81-83dB I may need to replace the chavy back box for something more purposeful.

On the parts donor front and I haven't decided whether to refit the yellow skirts. Ten years ago this summer I took part in the PPC £999 Challenge in a Spanish registered BMW 320i (my brothjer drove the car home as his flight was canceled due to Icelandic volcano activity) with some moderate tuning and weight reduction.



I got the factory 19.1 second quarter mile time down to 15.73 @81mph. Maybe paint the body violet and get some yellow bumpers for the Punto HGT-Rally?

If anyone knows the car I would like to know more about the history and provenance. I know it was built by a member of the Chelmsford Motor Club to take part in the Woodbridge Targa Rally 2017 and the suspension was set up for Brands Hatch by a chap called "Pete" in 2019
The last MOT had no advisories so I guess the cat' fell off between then and now.
Obviously if the cars history is worth preserving then I won't get yellow bumpers and violet paint.

MOT time...

MOT diary.

09:00 - Should have made a start.
09:30 - One more coffee.
10:00 - ********. Family stuff.
11:23 - headed to Elite Motorsport for a set of road legal-ish tyres.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254517724714



Do you know what? A Punto HGT van would be a really good idea. Can't think why nobody has thought of it yet.

12:something - Stuck in traffic on the A47

13:22 - One more coffee.
13:27 - I need a new kettle.
13:36 - These coffee bags aren't half bad.
13:39 - Took the bonnet catch off the HGT van.
13:41 - Cut the cable section off so it's just the secondary hook.
13:46 - Mounted it to the Rally car.
13:49 - Cracked the wheel bolts on the passenger side.
13:54 - Jacked the passenger side up on the front subframe bolts.
14:03 - Drivers side front wheel done.
14:09 - Rear wheel done.
14:11 - Dropped the car back down and torqued the wheel bolts. (Some very expensive 25mm hubcentric spacers on the car).
14:17 - Moved the car over so I can get to the drivers side.
14:19 - Cracked the wheel bolts.
14:22 - Raised the drivers side with the jack.
14:25 - Front wheel done.
14:29 - Rear wheel done.
14:36 - Dropped the car and torqued the bolts as before.
14:38 - Final check around.
14:40 - Swear a lot in Italian because the passengers side tail light and drivers side indicator have stopped working.
14:46 - Removed both tail light clusters.
14:48 - Undid the screws holding the bulbs in place.
14:50 - Checked the bulbs and they were fine, just dirty terminals.
14:53 - Checked the bulbs again. Now the passenger side is all flashing.
14:54 - Cleaned the plug terminals. All working again.
14:56 - Only put the centre screw in and replaced the tail light clusters.
14:58 - Leave for the MOT...



...15:01 - Made it in time as the last test was running late.

15:5something - Pass! :slayer: With a few verbal advisories and compliments about the welding on the exhaust.

As before this is not a paid promotion for either Elite Motorsport or my local MOT centre. I'm just a happy customer.

So I basically ruined the rally car today. Corvid-19 depending I should be at a charity track day this coming Friday and the Sceneocide oval back box had to go.
It was 77dB at idle and over 90dB when the engine revved. NYMBY track limits are around that so to avoid being black flagged...



...I wondered if the 595 Abarth back box for the Uno would fit.



It's as if Fiat wanted a five year old box to fit a twenty year old car and not a couple of hours of crawling about, cutting, grinding, welding and fitting at all. :devil:



Ticks over at 60.2dB and fast idle at 80.1dB

Good result but meh.

Nephews Seicento Abarth

My nephew has done a mechanics course and apparently been shown how to weld. He asked for the Sceneocide back box from my rally car and if he could borrow my welder and grinder.

So ladies and gentlemen my nephews first attempt at making an oval peg fit a trapezoid hole.



Not the worst I have seen by a long way. My first was a Peco BigBore4 on a Panda 4x4



I had to cut it off and help.







My nephews first exhaust I would guess my 250th.

P.S Yes I know the bumper isn't symmetrical. He did that. :devil: